Tepid response on Day 1: 955 get booster shot in Chandigarh
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, January 10
The response to the booster dose remained low on the first day as only 955 beneficiaries turned up for it. Among them, 82 were frontline workers, while 362 were healthcare workers. Among the elderly, 511 beneficiaries took the precaution dose.
According to UT estimates, the target population of 60 years plus with comorbidities is 15,600, while the number of healthcare and frontline workers is 26,237 and 22,438, respectively.
There has to be a gap of nine months (39 weeks) from the date of administration of the second dose for the booster dose. As the vaccine for the booster dose is the same as the first and second dose, the Covishield vaccine is being used in Chandigarh.
The beneficiaries can get the dose at vaccination centres for persons aged 18 years and above. They will be given preference at all such centres over persons coming for the first or the second dose.
Schools warned over vaccine wastage at camps
The UT Health Department has issued a warning to principals of government schools not to waste vaccine doses and ensure that students are informed about vaccination drives at schools.
Special vaccination camps are being arranged at schools in close coordination with the Education Department. The department has observed that in some schools, many students were not informed by the school authorities about the vaccination camps and the vaccination was quite low, which resulted in wastage of precious resources of the Health Department. UT Health Secretary Yashpal Garg wrote to all heads of government
continued on page 3
